Advice

Too many small-business people aren’t willing to ask for help when they need it. Entrepreneurs by nature tend to be independent risk-takers. They started the company and it is their baby. Obviously, they should know how to raise it.

No matter what role we find ourselves in — entrepreneur, executive, sales and marketing professional, to name just a few — we are in constant motion, reacting to the day’s events, feeling the pressure to perform and focusing on results.

It’s not as if coaches have secret powers or have some deep-seated knowledge of your industry that could open the door to more success. Coaches are mere humans like you and me. However, good coaches can help you identify your blind spots.

Being an entrepreneur is one of those few jobs where your path is not charted out for you. No one cares about your past experience, no one will hold your hand when things get difficult and no one will sugar coat their belief in your potential failure.

When it comes to business, speed is a weapon that separates certain organizations from the competition — but, its speed can also be harmful if not handled correctly. In the age of digital innovation and transformation, small companies have burst out of the gate to disrupt traditional business molds.

If you’ve ever met someone who told you they were a “business consultant,” and you scratched your head wondering what in the heck does that really mean, you are not alone. The term “consultant” is so vague it often borders on euphemistic.

To survive as a consultant in any industry, you need to charge fees that will enable you to stay in business; at the same time, both you and your clients need to feel that your fees are fair and equitable. So how do you find the middle ground that seems fair to everyone involved?

In sports, we often talk about athletes who “want it” more than others. These are the players who show up early, who use up every last ounce of energy in pursuit of their best performance. Players for whom defeat is viscerally painful, the ones who will stop at nothing to succeed.

A year ago, after months of late nights and weekends spent working my side hustle, I made the leap into freelancing full time. Since then, I’ve been consulting for various small businesses, helping them launch their online presence.